Manufacture of shaped metal articles



July 19, 1932. A 1,868,213

MANUFACTURE OF SHAPED METAL ARTICLES Filed Dec. 18, 1951 A r A n Patented July 19, 1932 UNITED STATES WILLIAM MACKIE, or GLASGOW, sco'rLann ,MANUFAGTURE or SHAPED METAL Anrronnsy .1

Application filed December is, 1931, Serial No. 581,9841fand in Great Britain June 1'7; 1931.

This invention relates to apparatus for the production by flame-cutting of shaped me- 7 tallic articles, being primarily devisedfor the production from metallic angle-bar stock of chain-link blanks each including a linkforming portion and a flange or lug portion extending at an angle to the link-forming portion. r 1 According to the invention, there is pro- Vided for reception of the stock a rotary carrier which during the flame-cutting opera tion is partially rotated. successively in re verse directions whereby faces of the stock in diflerent planes are presented in turn to the cutting flame.

by mechanism well known in the metal-cut ting art in the direction of the stock and transverse thereto in accordance with 'theconfiguration of the article to. be produced.

207A switch device coming into action in the travel of the nozzle controls theoperation.

of a reversible electric motorgeared to the stock-carrier. j

Apparatus according to the invention' s illustrated in Figs. l-3 of the accompanying drawing, Fig. 1 being a longitudinal vertical section, Fig. 2 a plan View and Fig. 3 an elevation at right angles to F ig. l Figs. 4 and 5 are fragmentary plan views illustrative of the cutting process; Fig. 6 is acircuitdiagram.

Referring particularly to Figs.'13, 1 denotes a hollow rotary cylinder providediin ternally, adjacent to one end, with a clamp ing jaw 2 for clamping a metallic angle-bar comprising flanges 3,3 at right angles to each other, so that the longitudinal corner edge 4 of the bar iscoincident with the axis of the cylinder 1. Part of the bar projecting beyond that end of the cylinder adjacent to the jaw 2 is acted upon by acutting flame which issues from a torch 5 and which cuts the chain-link blanks from the bar, the bar;

being fed through the cylinder 1 towards the flame as eachchain-link blank is completed. The torch 5 remains uniformly spaced from the horizontal plane containing the corner edge 4 of the bar but is traversed horizontal .ly in the direction lengthwise of the bar and transverse thereto by mechanism well known The torch is traversed- .P T NT FF ICE p p t "p -3 213;

For rotating the cylinder 1 there is employed a reversible electriomotor indicated at 6, the armature shaft 7 of which motor'is geared to the cylinder 1 through a train of spur-and-pinion speed-reduction gearing inj dicated generally at 8 andterminating'in a worm19 meshing with a wormwheel 10 "fixed to the cylinder 1.

The clamping jaw Q'iscarried by a screw 11 extending radially of the cylinder-and engaging a screw-threaded aperture 'in the lat??- eral wall thereof, the screw 11' being .pro-

wheel 12operable to effect the clamping and unclamping of the bar; (Jo-operating with the jaw 2 are abutmentmember's' 2- integral with the cylinder and bosom ofthe bar." g In the cutting operation, while the baris' maintained in the'position shown in Figll, i. e., with :the flange. 3. in horizontal "posi tion, the; flame, starting at the point 'videdexternally of the cylinder with a hand- 'engageable with the 1 7i f Amig.

.4) and moving-in a'horizontal plane inthe direction indicated by the arrows at along the path indicated in dotted lines, partially cuts the chain-link portion proper from the flange 3... When the flame reaches the point B, thecyl'inder isrotated slowly through a right angle so that the, flame cuts the corner eof metal as the flange 3 is brought into the horij v zontal position shown "in Figs. 1-4forcutj-L ting the lug whose outline is shown in dotted" lines in Fig. 5. When the flame reachesthe point C (Fig. 5),'the cylinder is rotated re-* versely through a right angle toinitial posi-" tion so as again-to'cut the corner metal and so as to permit the flame toconiplete the cutting of the blank, i'. e., toret'urn'to the point; A (Fig. 4) alongthe path indicated in chaindotted lines :inthis figure.

The motor 6 is automatically controlled I a forward and reverse contactor l5 '(Fig.*6) in circuit with switch devices including Sta-- tionary contacts 16, 17 adapted ,to be traversedby a spring brush contact 18 also in circuit with the contactor 15 and movingwiththe nozzle'5. 'The arrangement is such that, when the cutting flame reaches the 1 point B, the contactlS engagesthe contact 7 fed manually through the cylinder,- being providedwitha shiitable 'grab'or; clamp 13 V p 16 for a predetermined period of time during which the cylinder 1 isrotated through a right angle, and, when the cutting flame reaches the point C the contact 18 engages the contact 17 for a predetermined period of time during which the cylinder 1 is rotated reversely through the same angle.

As will be understood, the speed ofrota- H 7 tion of the cylinder is chosen to suit the cut- 10 7 depends on theweight ofthe stock being cut.

ting speed of the flame which latter speed In the construction illustrated the bar is spaced from the rear end of the cylinder a distance slightly in excess of the overall length ofthe blank to be cut and gauged by a portable distance piece-1 1 adapted to be interposed momentarily'between the clamp 13. and the rear end of the cylinder 1. The

bar is fed forwardly after; each cuttingoperationuntil. the grab jor clamp 13 abuts on togauge position thereon'ready for a. subsethe rear endof the cylinder. After thebar i is clamped in cuttingposition,lthefgrab or Y clamp 13 is slackened on the bar andretra'cted quent feeding movement. g

'siti'ons fof I 1; Apparatus comprising a rotary stoclocarrier, means on said carrier for clamping the stock within said carrier, with part of the stock project; ing beyond one endof said carrier, a' torch movable over said projecting part of the stock,a reversible motor geared to said carrier,"an d switch means operable in-igiven po-' 7 said torch forcontrollingthe-dire tion ofrotation. of said motor.

'2. iApparatus i: metallic bars ofa-ngle section, comprising a I rotatable cylinder, means for clamping a bar:

ofangle section in said cylinder with its corner'edget coincident with said axis, and with part of said bar projecting from said cylin- .der', a torch movable in a plane parallel to said axis over said vprojecting part of said bar in the direction of said axis and trans Verse thereto, aorever'sible motor geared to and switch meansoperative 1n said cylinder, given positions of said torch for controlling the supply of current to said motor.

,In testimony whereof I- have signed my name to this specification.

w M o rE; V

for the production of shaped metallic articles from stock by flame-cutting l or the production of shaped 

